Report Shows Troubling Abortion Rates

Dr. Alveda King

2/19/2014

Abortions are down some: Still not safe and rare, especially in black neighborhoods

The abortion lobby is scrambling to take credit for a decline in abortions while hiding the truth that abortions are still disproportionately high in black communities. Those who are passionate about saving the lives of the unborn have been working very hard to bring not only a decrease in abortion rates, but also to make abortion itself unthinkable.

Yet we still face the issue of African-American communities being targeted by the abortion lobby while claiming to make abortions “safe, legal, and rare.”

For instance, in New York and in some cases nationally, abortions are down due to diligent pro-life strategies such as prayer, legislative awareness, public awareness, pregnancy care centers, abortion healing, African-American and all minority awareness, and aggressive media outreach. Still in New York black abortions remain upside down, 2 abortions to 1 live birth.

Agencies like The Chiaroscuro Foundation, a not-for-profit organization seeking to reduce the number of abortions in New York and provide pregnant women with viable alternatives to abortion, note the decline and are cautiously optimistic. In a recent statement, they report: “New York City's abortion ratio dropped substantially in 2012, according to data released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene last week. While the City's abortion rate is still nearly twice the national average, the progress is encouraging."

"We have been raising awareness about New York City's high rate of abortion for the past four years, and we are certainly encouraged by the progress made during that time," said Greg Pfundstein, president of the Chiaroscuro Foundation. "We will continue to work with community leaders, churches, and organization who share our concern about this problem and to help women facing unplanned pregnancies find the support they need in their communities."

Pfundstein continued: "The City's claim that increased use of contraception is the cause of the substantial decline is quite perplexing, though. While the CDC through its comprehensive National Survey of Family Growth has found steadily declining rates of teenage sexual activity, they have not found substantial increases in contraceptive use. And the City has been pushing Plan B for several years, which studies show does not decrease the pregnancy rate. If the City has data proving their claim, they should make it available to the public."

“The abortion ratio citywide fell to just over 37 percent in 2012-a record low since 1970 when abortion was legalized in New York. The Bronx continues to lead the city with an abortion ratio of 47 percent. The largest drop in the abortion ratio was in Brooklyn, which saw the ratio drop from 37 percent to 34 percent."

Despite an overall reduction in abortions, some areas-primarily minority or low income neighborhoods-continue to experience a disproportionate number of abortions. "We were pleased with the progress, but we still have a long way to go, especially in meeting the needs of poor and minority women," said Molly O'Connor, communications director of the Chiaroscuro Foundation.

“Of the 197,046 viable pregnancies in New York City in 2012, 73,815 were terminated by abortion. 1,832, or 2.48 percent, of the abortions performed in the City in 2012 were performed at gestational ages of 21 weeks or later.

"It's time we look at the resources we're providing pregnant women in need. Local churches, community organizations, and neighbors are crucial to delivering services and support that empower women to choose alternatives to abortion."

Dr. Alveda C. King grew up in the civil rights movement led by her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is a pastoral associate and director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries. Her family home in Birmingham, Ala., was bombed, as was her father’s church office in Louisville, Ky. Alveda herself was jailed during the open housing movement. Read more reports from Dr. Alveda C. King.